Strawberry-Yogurt Muffins with Choco chips

Baking to do away with the blues. That is what I did yesterday. However I was so wound up that I forgot to check my baking powder supply. It has now reached the bottom of the tin and unfortunately I had also ran out of fruits salts which can be used as a substitute. On top of that I was dropping stuff and by the time the muffins went into the oven, I realized that I had forgotten to turn on the bottom grill. Somehow I managed to make a batch of decent looking (but very tasty) muffins but ended up feeling even more wound up. I guess I need a break from the regular stuff.....hence planning for a vacation sometime next week or so. Worry not if I go MIA for a few days...

For now, read on for the quick recipe -

Total Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar (powdered)
• egg ( 1 no)
• yogurt ( 2 tbsp )
• baking powder ( 1/2 level tsp )
• choco chips (2-3 tbsp)
• Mala's strawberry crush ( 1 tbsp )

Preparation - Take the butter in a mixing bowl and beat it for 3-4 mins. Add the powdered sugar and beat well for 5 mins or till the mixture turns a few shades lighter. Mix in the strawberry crush.

Break egg into a separate bowl and beat well such that stiff peaks can be formed.
Stir gently into the butter-sugar mix. Add the yogurt too.

Mix the flour and baking powder together. Use a sieve to gently sift it into the batter in small batches. Mix gently till no lumps remain. Add in the choco chips.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full. Sprinkle some choco chips on top.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake for another 10 mins. Insert a toothpick at the center of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 5 mins.

Note - Dust the choco chips in some flour before adding to the batter. This prevents them from sinking (well I actually forgot this step too).
 

Banana and walnut muffins

Made these easy muffins last week with a couple of over-ripe bananas. Came out very soft,dense and moist. Read on for the recipe-

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• All purpose flour ( 3/4 cup)
• Butter ( 1/2 cup )
• Demerara sugar ( 1/2 cup, powdered )
• Ripe bananas ( 2 nos, small ones )
• Egg ( 1 no)
• Chopped raisins ( 10-14 nos)
• Chopped walnuts ( 5-6 nos )
• Baking powder ( 1/2 level tsp )
• Vanilla essence ( 3-4 drops)

Preparation - Break the egg into a bowl. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the demerara sugar and vanilla essence. Beat till light and fluffy.

Sift in the flour and baking powder little by little. Gently fold in (do it in one direction only).

Peel and take the bananas in a separate mixing bowl. Mash them very well.

Add the butter to the mixing bowl containing banana. Mix well.

Add banana-butter mixture to the flour batter. Fold in gently, moving in a unidirectional manner. Stir in the nuts and raisins, keeping aside a few to sprinkle on top.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full. Sprinkle chopped raisins on top.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake for another 10-15 mins ( since these muffins contain fruit, they take longer to bake and are a little more dense in texture ).

Insert a toothpick at the center of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 2-3 mins.

Remove from oven and keep on a cooling rack. Overturn the tray to remove the muffins while still warm (easy to come out).

Serve immediately or store in a airtight container for 1-2 days when completely cool.

As they tend to spoil early, hence better to have them on the same day or the next day at the most.
.

Note - Roll the raisins/nuts in a little all-purpose flour before sprinkling on top. This prevents them from sinking into the muffins

Raisin and Saffron Muffins

Its quite hot these days and on top of it, my oven has been acting up. But I still had the persistence to bake another batch of muffins. Had to rotate the tray quite a few times to avoid getting those dreaded burn spots but still could not manage to get them to brown evenly on top. The yummy taste and fluffy texture saved it for me and my son really liked it. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• All purpose flour ( 1 cup)
• butter ( 1/2 cup )
• sugar ( 1/2 cup, powdered )
• egg ( 1 no)
• chopped raisins ( 1/3 cup )
• milk ( 1/4 cup )
• baking powder ( 1/2 level tsp )
• saffron ( 1/5 tsp)
• cardamom powder (1 pinch)

Preparation - Heat the milk. Add the saffron strands to it and allow to soak for 20 mins.

Take the butter  in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat well for 5 mins or till the mixture turns a few shades lighter.

Break egg into a separate bowl and beat well such that stiff peaks can be formed.
Stir gently into the butter-sugar mix. Add the saffron milk also.( do not panic if you find a slight curdling at this stage )
Mix the flour and baking powder together. Use a sieve to gently sift it into the batter in small batches. Mix gently till no lumps remain. Stir in the raisins keeping aside a few to sprinkle on top.

Grease a non-stick muffin tray. Pour into the molds till 2/3 full. Sprinkle chopped raisins on top.

Cooking - Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Put the tray inside and turn down heat to 160 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake for another 10 mins.

Insert a toothpick at the center of muffin and check if it comes out clean. Else bake for another 2-3 mins.

Remove from oven and keep on a cooling rack. Overturn the tray to remove the muffins while still warm (easy to come out).

Serve immediately or store in a airtight container for 2-3 days.

Note - Roll the raisins in a little all-purpose flour before sprinkling on top. This prevents them from sinking into the muffins.

15 minute Choco Muffins (Children's Day Special)

Children are a nation's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. These sentiments of  former US President J.F. Kennedy found an echo in our very own Chacha, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.  He understood the importance of children in building the country's future and proposed free primary education for all children. He was also the first proponent of the 'midday meal' scheme as we call it today. As a tribute, we celebrate his birthday (14th November) as Children's Day.

In case you have not planned anything special for your little one, this recipe comes just in the nick of time. These muffins are also a life saver when you have unexpected visitors. Since they need very little time and effort, one can easily prepare a batch while doing other household chores. Very useful when the kids suddenly ask for something sweet.

With a little chocolate frosting and decor sprinkled on top, these are good enough to serve as party snacks.

[As these disappeared as soon as they got out of the muffin tray, will upload a photo when i make the next batch]

Preparation Time - 15 mins (Makes 6 nos)

Ingredients - 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup Fortune refined rice bran oil, 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp ENO, 2 1/2 tsp cocoa powder.

Preparation - Take the sugar in the dry grinding jar of a mixer-grinder. Grind for 1 minute.

Transfer to the whipping jar. Add the oil, egg and milk. Buzz for 3 minutes.

Take the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and ENO in a sieve. Sift gently into the whipping jar. Buzz for 30 seconds to 1 minute till the batter just comes together.

Cooking - Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Grease the muffin tray with butter/oil. Sprinkle a little flour.

Pour the batter into the cups till 2/3rd full.

Insert the tray into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Prick the center of the muffins with a tooth-pick to check if done. If not, bake for another 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Enjoy.